Dragon Bound

Chapter Twenty-Five

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Chapter Twenty-Five

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The night sky was ripped open every few moments by the burst of dragon fire. The noise was horrendous. Roars, screeching metal and heavy thuds broke into the world and left no room for anything else. Blood and scrap metal rained from the sky, spattering the ground, and bouncing down the crags.

Lune didn't care about any of it.

He was perched like a white sentry over the rider laying still on the grass. He hadn't blinked since they had landed, tracing the tiny inhale and exhale of the man's chest, willing him to breathe just one more time. One more time.

His own body ached all over. Singed feathers, pulled muscles and cuts littered his body. He didn't move, not even to straighten a tail feather sticking out at an odd angle. Another breath, the chest went up and down. It was such a tiny movement. He was struck once again by just how fragile humans were. He whistled through his teeth, a low mournful sound.

Suddenly there was a sound of wing beats much closer at hand. Lune snarled, spreading his four wings wide and rearing to protect the unconscious rider. Relief flooded him as he recognised the massive black outline. Damon circled lower until he landed ungracefully close by. He was bleeding heavily from several deep cuts in his shoulders and neck. A piece of his horn crest had been bitten off and his chest plate was heavily dented and scratched.

The black dragon moved gingerly forward. He was having trouble putting weight on his left foreleg. Lune whined, partly in relief and partly in distress. Without the collar and with Jason unconscious, the mental link had been closed to him. He missed being able to hear Damon's thoughts. The idea that the Yoru might had been killed had been too devastating to even consider so he had shut down that part of his mind.

Now he nuzzled Damon all over, licking gently at the cuts and rubbing his muzzle over Damon's eye ridges. The larger male was trembling with exhaustion but returned Lune affections enthusiastically, nipping him gently. They huddled together by their rider, Lune taking warmth and comfort from Damon's presences as he gently groomed the blood from their scales.

Already, there was a thick smell of death in the air. Around them, things scuttled and slithered towards the many bodies, tearing into flesh, and lapping up the blood from where it pooled in the rocks. Lune shuddered in revulsion as two unknown creatures with six eyes and fleshy legs began to fight over the spilling intestine of a dead filly.

Above them, the battle seemed to be breaking up. Dragons were fleeing in all different directions. Unfortunately, it was now so dark that it was impossible to tell exactly what was going on or who had won. Lune wondered if it even mattered who the victors were. In his mind, none of this had been worth it.

An enormous shadow fell on them, blocking out the glittering stars. Lune started to growl, his feathers fluffing out in alarm, but Damon soothed him with a purr. The huge animal lowered itself to the ground, revealing Amphion and his rider. The huge dragon had obviously spotted Lune's white pelt against the gloom and had come down to investigate. Several members of Jason's squad were landing, calling names, and dismounting. Apparently, they were coming to check for survivors. Lune doubted they would find many.

'Jason? Damon?' It was Logan's voice that shouted. Lune didn't leave Jason's side by Damon lifted his head and roared. The voices got louder, and Vulkan can over the hillock with Fredrick and Logan.

'Shit,' Lune heard the man swear. They started running towards them. Lune snarled, tail quills rattling dangerously. Logan held up his hands. 'Easy there, little one. We need to get him back to the keep. He needs a healer.'